


burning angel wings

by darknesshadows (FeatheredShadow)



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Parabatai Bond, Wings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-10 16:41:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13505553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeatheredShadow/pseuds/darknesshadows
Summary: Between the pressure of being groomed to become the new Head of the New York Institute, the arrival of one raised-mundane rookie and a special envoy from the Clave, Alec must learn to deal with his feelings for his parabatai when a mission gone wrong brings some revelations to light.





	1. Chapter 1

Alec moaned a little when he felt a warm weight settle comfortably against him before opening an eye, a smile appearing on his lips. Jace was curled up against him, his wings ruffled in his back, smiling playfully.

“You’re awake,” he said in a satisfied tone before moving close, ending up straddling Alec’s legs. “ _Good_. I have plans for you, _parabatai_.”

“Do you, now?” Alec said with a little smirk, raising an eyebrow. “And what would these plans be, _parabatai_?”

“Let me show you,” Jace answered with a confident smirk before forwards, kissing Alec.

The simple touch was enough to make Alec moan, his hands immediately moving to hold onto Jace’s hips. His parabatai’s smile grew against his lips before his hands moved to lose themselves into Alec’s hair, keeping him in position while Jace was kissing him passionately, moving from his face to his neck, alternating between butterfly kisses and sucking on the deflect rune, licking and nibbling at the skin.

The single contact would have been enough to make Alec lose his mind, but the fact that Jace was still sitting on his lap, grinding against him as he was decided to imprint his mark all over Alec’s skin was definitively enough to make him lose control. He moaned loudly, feeling passion flaring up all over his body, wings suddenly spreading out and kicking over everything that was on the nightstand. Jace laughed a little at that, his own wings spread out proudly behind him, bathed in the golden light of the early morning.

“You’re so beautiful, parabatai,” he said in a reverent tone, moving back into a sitting position, one of his hand gently stroking Alec’s cheek. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Alec mumbled, still panting, heart beating erratically against his ribcage.

He melted into the kiss, his world disappearing into a whirl of colors and the feeling of Jace’s skin all over his body, heating him up with the slightest touch. Nothing else mattered, but the union of their bodies, merging into one, intertwined until it was impossible to say where one started and the other ended.

Alec woke up with a start, the pants of his pajama sticking to his skin, his heart beating fast. It took him a few seconds to fully leave his dream, disappointment hitting him like a cold bucket of water at the emptiness of his bed. Jace wasn’t here – _of course_ he wasn’t here, he didn’t share _that_ kind of relationship with his parabatai, no matter how much he wanted to. He knew people, if they knew of it, would think it strange that they were such close parabatai – the greatest pair of warriors that had been seen in a long time – without also sharing their beds.

Alec would have loved nothing more than to do so, but Jace seemed fairly uninterested in that, preferring instead to chase girls, Nephilims and Downworlders alike. It hurt Alec more than he let it on, but only Izzy was aware of it. She had tried playing matchmaker between the pair, wanting nothing more than to help, but her latest plan had backfired spectacularly, and she had decided not to do anything anymore, too guilty in front of the consequences.

Alec didn’t hold her responsible for what had happened, but he still wished it wouldn’t have come to that. Besides, he also had to deal with his parents’ disappointment, the two of them being rather dissatisfied that Alec and Jace weren’t parabatai in every meaning in the word. Everybody knew the strongest, purest bond was the one including every single form of love, and yet Jace had shown no inclination for physical love. Not that it would stop Alec from becoming Head of the Institute, once it came to that, but it was still a blow.

He wanted Jace’s love – _needed_ it – and through every form, be it the sharing and bonding of their souls, the battle bond or the unions of their bodies. Already having two out of three was a great thing – and he knew he was lucky to have found his soulmate, and so soon in his life – but he still, selfishly, intensely wanted _more_.

A knock tore him from his thoughts, making him jump on his bed, wings spreading out fully – and this time, the content of his nightstand ended up on the floor for real.

“Meeting in the war room in ten minutes!” the Shadowhunter who was on guard said on the other side of the door before walking away.

Alec waited for a few seconds to hear the knock on the door next to his before slowly getting out of bed, feeling strangely unsettled. It wasn’t the first time he had dreamed of something like that, he pondered as he put back on his nightstand everything that had fallen down, but this time the sadness was more difficult to push away. Maybe he needed to confront Jace one and for all on the topic, but he was scared of the potential negative answer he might get. He didn’t want his feelings to ruin their bond, no matter how eager he was for more, and if Jace was satisfied with how things were… he didn’t feel like pushing. Besides, Jace had been drifting away since a couple of weeks, and he couldn’t for the life of him understand why. Had he done something wrong? But they usually tended to tell each other, when one messed up and hurt the other, so he wasn’t quite sure what to do…

He took a quick shower, rubbing hard on his skin until he was sure he was clean – or that his body felt clean – before stepping out and putting on his regular hunting clothes, hesitating only for a moment before grabbing his leather jacket and leaving his room. He could already hear voices rumbling as he walked through the corridors before quickly entering the war room, eyes scanning the crowd before falling on Izzy.

Her black wings were standing out proudly in the crowd, a fine brown line at the tips of her feathers – the mix of colors a typical characteristic of the Lightwood line. He quickly walked up to her, before noticing with a frown that a fiery red mass of feathers was standing next to her. Clary Fray had joined the Institute only a few weeks ago, when she had discovered the truth about her parentage on her eighteenth birthday, being attacked in the Pandemonium by a group of Raveners. Alec, Jace and Izzy had also been there on a mission and it was only due to their presence – as well as Magnus Bane’s, if Alec wanted to be honest – that there hadn’t been any victims. Plenty of people had been wounded, but no one had died – and they hadn’t been able to finish their mission. They had brought Clary back to the Institute with them, having no other choice when wings had spread out of her back when a Ravener had hurt her, and she had been following them around ever since – much to Alec’s dislike. She had been heavily flirting with Jace ever since and he had been more than receptive to her advances, something that pissed Alec off to no end.

“Apparently Mother has an announcement to make,” Izzy greeted him in a sour tone, her face closed off. “Have you heard anything?”

Alec shook his head, frowning a little. Izzy sighed at that, arms crossed in front of her, before looking behind Alec, an eyebrow raised. Clary – who had stayed silent next to her, a sour look on her face – suddenly lightened up and Alec had to stop himself from rolling his eyes, suddenly realizing who was coming without having to turn. The tingling feeling in the parabatai bond was a telltale in itself, but the look on the half-mundane’s face was a give-way of its own.

“It’s kind of rude to them to wake us so early,” Jace said with a yawn, coming so close to his parabatai that their shoulders were almost touching.

Feeling his heart flutter at the gesture, Alec had to stop himself from putting his arm around Jace’s waist, but did nothing to stop his wing from spreading out a little and covering half of Jace’s body. No one bated an eye around them, too used to their wings mingling together at any given opportunity – dark brown with black lines against pure white adorned of golden lines.

Jace moved a little closer to Alec, seemingly ready to fall asleep on him, and Alec had to stop himself from brushing his fingers through Jace’s hair. The urge was almost physical and he bit his tongue to stop himself, annoyed at his own reaction. He rarely was so tactile with his parabatai in public, especially less since Jace had seemed to be drifting away, but his dream had left him unsettled, and the sleepy look still present on Jace’s face made him _want_ things he knew he couldn’t have.

“Should have come back earlier, then,” Izzy said with a snort, getting all three to look at her with various looks of surprise on their faces.

Jace blushed a little and looked away, still snuggled tight against the protection of Alec’s wings, while his parabatai was rather perplexed, tightening his hold a little. Clary didn’t seem to appreciate the innuendo at all and opened her mouth to speak when a loud cough interrupted her.

All whispers came to an end as Maryse Lightwood stepped on the estrade, black wings drawn high in her back, looking at the Shadowhunters standing straight at her feet. Nothing in her appearance could indicate there was a problem, but both Alec and Izzy knew better than to trust something as mundane as an outfit – especially considering the presence of another Shadowhunter a few steps behind her, a blonde woman who seemed to be slightly older than Alec.

“Attention everyone,” Maryse said in a cold voice, although everyone’s attention was directed on her. “We are welcoming an envoy from the Clave in the Institute. Given the current situation –” and people winced at the reminder that Valentine Morgenstern was still out on the run, some of them turning to look at Clary, whose face had turned to stone “the Clave deems it necessary that an external evaluation is conducted, to assess how much more reinforcement is needed. Lydia Branwell will share your missions, but I expect you to obey her orders when on the field – and answer her questions about the Institute.”

She looked at the crowd with piercing brown eyes, her wings utterly still in her back, before speaking again.

“Carry on your assignments as usual. Dismissed.”

The crowd stayed in place for a few seconds before starting to move away, people whispering between themselves, and more than a few Shadowhunters sending a dirty look in Clary’s direction. The news of her parentage had made the rounds at the Institute as soon as her mother had come to get her, bringing the Mortal Cup with her – and Alec still couldn’t understand why someone supposedly as smart as Jocelyn Fairchild had ran away with one of the Mortal Instruments and then kept her daughter in the dark about her ancestry and the powers that came it. The Clave had been delighted to have the Cup back and hadn’t complained too much at Jocelyn’s return in the Shadow world, insisting only for Clary to learn and train as any Nephilim child ought to – which explained why she had been staying at the Institute ever since. People had been inclined to be indulgent towards her, given her lack of knowledge of the Shadow world, but her behavior and her insistence in knowing better than them of their society was supposed to function hadn’t made her popular – far from it, actually – and the goodwill she had beneficiated from has soon turned into annoyance and disdain.

More than one person had deemed her to be an annoying brat, and her insistence at changing Nephilims customs had done more than enough to convince the residents of the Institute she truly was her father’s daughter – although, contrary to him, she was more interested in protecting Downworlders than destroying them all.

“Sightings of Valentine’s soldiers have been reported in downtown Manhattan,” Maryse said once she had walked up to their little group, Lydia Branwell still behind her. “I want you to go and see if there’s some truth to it.”

Alec and Izzy nodded in silence, neither of them reacting as Jace took a short intake of breath, his face suddenly closed-off. Everyone knew Valentine was responsible for the death of Michael Wayland, and although Alec was glad it had brought him his parabatai, he knew Jace wanted nothing more than to personally deal with the man.

“Lydia will be joining you,” Maryse went on, looking at the three and a half Shadowhunters in front of her. “Alec, I want you to keep an eye on the Fairchild girl. We don’t need to her to be running around her during a mission.”

“I am _right here_!” Clary protested virulently.

Maryse didn’t react in the slightest but Alec felt his wings twitch nervously until Jace’s warm hand settled against the small of his back, their bodies pressed together by the move. Clary pinched her lips in a very thin line at the gesture, obviously annoyed, but Alec ignored, slightly comforted by the feeling of Jace’s body against his own. It had become so rare in the past few weeks, and he basked in the sensation, all while still listening to what his mother had to say.

“We can go without her, if you deem it preferable Maryse,” Jace said in a calm voice, focused on the mission. “There will be enough of the three of us to –”

“ _Four_ of us,” Lydia corrected him, raising an eyebrow at his words.

“It’s because Lydia will be joining you that the Fairchild girl is coming,” Maryse went on, not appreciating having to explain her decision. “If it were only the three of you, of course I would not send her, I don’t need you to be distracted by a rookie. The file has been charged into the database. Alec, I expect you to co-lead the team with Lydia. Go on now.”

A chorus of “Yes Mother” and “Yes Maryse” rose up as she looked at them one last time before walking away, her heels clicking loudly on the ground. Alec felt the tension disappear once his mother was out of sight and turned towards Lydia, extending a hand.

“Welcome to the New York Institute. I’m Alec and –”

“I know who you all are,” Lydia interrupted him, not unkindly, shaking his hand vigorously. “People talk about you a lot in Idris and I looked into your files. Archery, right?”

“Alec is the best archer you could find,” Jace said in a voice that was mostly bragging, but with a darker tone underneath that Alec couldn’t quite decipher. “And, of course, he knows his way around a blade.”

“Of course,” Lydia repeated, eyebrow still raised, before turning her attention to Izzy, whose sour look abated a little in front of the assessing look she got. “I heard you’re all very… _talented_ with your weapons of choice.”

“That’s why we use them,” Izzy answered, a little drawl in her voice.

Alec and Jace exchanged a look, the same puzzlement present on their faces, before relaxing a little. Alec shivered a little when Jace dropped his hand from his back but didn’t react otherwise, trying to get himself under control at the idea he would have to deal with both a newcomer and a rookie on what was supposed to be a simple locating mission.

“If we’re all set, I suggest we gear up before getting out,” he finally said, his tone a little calmer as Jace’s wing was brushing against his own. “We have a long day in front of us.”


	2. Chapter 2

Alec knew he had the reputation of being a sour, grumpy person, but nothing that had happened so far in the day had helped his mood. His dream had already unsettled him enough as it was, but having to deal with a Clave’s envoy – who was there to assess the Lightwood’s ownership of the New York Institute, there was no other way around it – _and_ to bring the half-mundane girl with them on a mission was enough to sour his mood for the rest of his day. The fact that Fairchild had spent most of the time so far flirting with Jace, who had been more than receptive to her advances, had definitely ruined the rest of the day for him.

The fact that Izzy was also flirting with Lydia Branwell was just the icing on the cake.

And he wasn’t even _thinking_ of the weather, drenched to the bones as they were by the glacial rain that had been pouring down New York since the beginning of the day.

All in one, Alec was not having a good day when a couple of Vetis demons suddenly sprung on them as they were walking in Battery Park, very close to the shore. Clary shrieked at the sight, unused to scaly demons, and with a deep-seated disgust of anything that remotely looked like an insect. The six Vetis weren’t much troubles for four fully-trained Shadowhunters and a rookie – who, much to Alec’s dismay, had a natural talent in handling a blade, even though she still required much training – and they rather easily got rid of the demons. Neither of them even needed to rise away from the ground to destroy the beasts, but the fight still got the full focus of their attention.

Their surroundings, not so much, and the mix of ichor spread on wet pavement proved to be more vicious than expected, with Alec slipping on it as he got rid of the latest Vetix. Unfortunately, there was nothing for him to hang onto, and he fell head first onto the Upper Bay. The weight of his wings pulled him under and he drifted away quickly, trying to get back to the surface. It seemed to last an eternity for him but in truth it was barely a minute or two before he felt two pair of hands pulling him forward, getting the upper half of his body out of the water before guiding him to regain the shore.

Luckily for them, the park was closed to mundanes because of the weather, so no one was around to witness the ruckus they had caused. This was the only lightning Alec could find to the situation, lying on his back with his wings spread around, Izzy and Jace kneeling on each side of him, a worried look on their faces. Jace’s hand went up to his face and moved a few errand strays of hair, fingers drifting on his skin before moving away.

_“Parabatai.”_

The word was just above a whisper but it got all of Alec’s attention, focusing on the myriads of colors in Jace’s eyes.

“Back with us?”

His tone was a little more playful this time, but the smile on his lips didn’t quite reach his eyes as he helped Alec moving into a sitting position, Izzy doing the same on the other side of his body.

“Look at you being all dirty,” Jace went on, brushing away some of the sand that was sticking on Alec’s jacket, keeping him half-leaning against his stomach.

He suddenly felt dread pooling at the bottom of his stomach at having to take a look at his wings.

“We would do well to go back to the Institute,” Izzy said with a knowing look, gently squeezing Alec’s shoulder. “Alec can’t go on like that…”

“We can go on without him,” Clary grumbled, arms crossed in front of her.

Everyone turned to look at her, except for Alec who still half-squeezed against his parabatai, and he missed the look of disapproval his fellow Shadowhunters gave her, making Clary blush slightly.

“He isn’t injured, so I don’t see why we can’t –”

“Alec is going to need help to clean out his wings,” Lydia pointed out in a cold tone, disapproval clear in her voice. “He can’t do that alone. And although I have no problem going on with Isabelle, Maryse’s orders were very clear. We are _all_ going back to the Institute.”

“The presence of the Vetix during the day is interesting enough on its own,” Izzy added, helping Alec standing up – although most of his weight was supported by his parabatai.

Alec felt a little fuzzy but didn’t say a word, instead following Jace’s lead as he started walking away, in a pace slow enough that Alec could follow it without too much trouble. It made going back to the Institute a rather long walk but no one complained about it, Lydia choosing instead to school Clary in the habits and methods of teamwork. This made for a slightly tense atmosphere but he chose to focus on the warmth of Jace’s body against his instead, leaning against his parabatai with more abandon than he would have had in other circumstances. Jace didn’t seem to mind it either, keeping one arm around his waist, one wing drawn high enough so that it was vaguely covering them from the pouring rain.

It was only a fleeting protection and all five of them were drenched to the bones when they came back to the Institute. Alec heard a few whispers as people took a look at his wings – usually so pristine, and now covered in sand and probably a few seaweeds as well, if his instincts weren’t wrong – but he ignored them, letting himself being guided to the communal showers. He knew he wasn’t going to stop there, of course, but this was where the lockets containing their post-mission clothes were, and he was full aware both he and Jace needed them before going ahead. He spotted Izzy, Lydia and Clary getting what they needed from their own lockers and waved his sister goodbye as Jace was leading them down the stairs, to the main baths.

Even though all bedrooms were equipped with a small bathroom containing a shower, they all needed a bath every now and then – especially when their wings were dirty – so baths had been built under the Institute. There were three of them, large enough to contain a couple of Shadowhunters with their wings spread out, in a huge room that was constantly kept in semi-darkness, but no one else was around, and Alec relaxed a little at that. He liked to have his own privacy, especially in that kind of situation.

“Come on, let me help you,” Jace urged him, already tugging on his leather jacket.

Alec did his best to be of help but it was obvious Jace did most of the work until he ended up stripped down to his boxers, suddenly shivering. There was a strange light in Jace’s eyes but he didn’t know how to decipher it – and, frankly, was too tired to try to do so. He instead let himself be guided to the closest bath, settling down in the warm water with a little sight of contentment.

He didn’t realize he had closed his eyes until the sound of clothes being taken away caught his attention. He turned his head slightly to the side and felt himself blush as Jace was quickly stripping to his briefs, wings hanging a little low on his back due to the water on them. His parabatai was standing up proudly and Alec felt his blush intensify as Jace joined him in the water, a very thin brush in his hand.

“I’m going to take the sand out of your feathers and then we can move to the other bath, okay?” Jace whispered in his ear, the warmth of his breath making Alec shiver as his parabatai was settling down behind him. “Just relax a little and let me take care of you.”

“Sure,” Alec mumbled, feeling oddly touched by the show of comfort.

It wasn’t as if Jace was never taking care of him – quite the contrary, actually, as they had been grooming each other wings since they had first come out – but the tenderness in his moves never failed to make Alec melt on the inside. Having Jace’s hands all over his skin was more pleasurable than he had ever let on, and knowing that it was only the two of them right here and now… well, he was only too glad the dim light of the room could hide some of his body’s reactions.

He almost fell asleep to the repeated moves of Jace brushing the sang away from his feathers, taking the time to take of the knots that had formed and making sure everything was where it belonged. It was oddly quiet, between the two of them, but he didn’t mind, lulled to sleep by the warmth of the water and Jace’s hands all his wings, getting a shiver out of him every now and then. The bond was quietly thrumming between them, contentment passing back and forth until Jace finally stopped moving his fingers through Alec’s wings. He put the brush away on the edge of the bathtub before curling against Alec, both his wrapping themselves around Alec’s waist, head resting on Alec’s shoulder.

“How about we move to the other bathtub now?” he suggested, breathing on Alec’s skin. “It would be more comfortable in water…”

“Mmh… yeah, sure, we should do that,” Alec mumbled in agreement, staying where he was as Jace moved away and opened the drain.

The water swiftly disappeared and Jace reopened the water arrival so that they could rinse themselves from whatever was remaining on their bodies before moving to the other bathtub. This time, Alec stayed away until the warm water was filled a good two-thirds of the bathtub before entering it, an amused smile playing on his lips as he watched Jace pouring half of the content of the bottle containing bubbles liquid. There was a heavy coat of foam all over the water but neither of them had any issues with it. Besides, this liquid was prepared with specific ingredients and said to be helpful to soothe ache and bruises – something Alec had a mighty need for.

He gasped a little in surprise when Jace curled up against his back once again, positioning them so that Alec was half-lying on his torso, wings as spread out as they could, while Jace was sitting on one of the carved seats of the tub, his own wings spread against the walls of the tub. It was more than peaceful, and a welcome moment of togetherness after those weeks of distance, and Alec felt contentment wash over him once again, eyelids half-closed in the semi-darkness of the room.

“Much better than a sea bath, right?” Jace whispered against his ear, one hand against the flat lines of Alec’s stomach and the other drawing lines all over Alec’s neck, sometimes following the contour of his deflect rune.

“Totally,” Alec said in a drawl, relaxing under the touch.

Silence fell over them once again, covering them like a blanket, but Alec didn’t mind it, too busy basking in the feeling of contentment, knowing he had the full focus of Jace’s attention on him. It was selfish of him, he knew it, but that never failed to warm him up from the inside. And in his current situation, half-cuddled against Jace, with his parabatai stroking him in gentle moves that made him relax so much he was ready to fall asleep, he couldn’t find it in himself to worry about anything else.

Nevertheless, he stilled a little when he felt Jace’s hand move away from his neck to his parabatai rune, opening his eyes as Jace cushioned his head in the crook of his neck. The position sure had to be uncomfortable and Alec frowned a little at that, slightly turning his head around so that he could get a look at his parabatai.

“Are you okay?” he asked in a low tone, his hand moving to reach for Jace’s face, awkwardly brushing away a few strands of hair.

Jace didn’t say anything for a moment, strengthening his hold around Alec’s waist before finally opening his mouth, his breath ghosting over Alec’s skin.

“I was worried,” Jace finally admitted after a time, wings twitching in the water, creating little waves around them. “When I saw you fall in the Upper Bay, and not coming back to the surface…”

“But you got me out,” Alec pointed in a low tone, shifting so that he was now half-sitting on Jace’s lap, wings folding behind his back. “You and Izzy. And I’m here now.”

Jace’s arms were still around his waist but the hold had grown looser. Alec was glad they both still had their underwear on, suddenly aware of the proximity of their bodies and the quiet, private setting they were sharing. Jace still looked troubled, a pensive, confused expression on his face, and Alec raised his head to stroke his cheek without even thinking about it. It was only when Jace flinched at the touch that he realized what he had done and quickly moved his hand away, feeling a slight blush coloring his cheeks.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, lowering his eyes, feeling very uncomfortable all of a sudden.

The peacefulness had disappeared and he suddenly wanted nothing more than to get out of the bath and grab a towel to dry himself before putting back on clean clothes. He was almost moving to rise up when Jace sighed a little, his head falling against the top of Alec’s arm, his hold tightening around his waist once again.

“I don’t like when it happens,” he said in a voice so low Alec had to strain to hear him. “I’m supposed to be watching your back too and –”

“You do,” Alec quickly interrupted, frowning a little.

He moved so as to be facing Jace, one hand gently holding him by the chin.

“You do watch my back. You got me out of the water, remember? And I’m safe now.”

Jace looked at him, an undecipherable expression on his face before nodding. His eyes darted to the huge clock that was positioned on one of the walls of the room and he groaned a little, annoyance settling on his face.

“Our time is up, we should head back to give Maryse our report,” he said, slightly bothered.

“Okay,” Alec mumbled, following his lead as Jace rose up and swiftly left the bathtub.

It was as if a switch had been turned on – or rather, _off_ , as his parabatai was now harboring his usual cocky expression. Gone was the vulnerability Alec had witnessed, and it left him strangely unsettled, as if he had missed something in their exchange.

They dried themselves off in silence, both turning away to put on some dry underwear, before facing each other again as they put on the rest of their clothes. Alec was almost tentative about asking for help in drying his wings a little, but Jace seemed to read his mind before he even finished his question, hands gentle as they went through the feathers. Alec was quick to return the favor, knowing perfectly well Jace’s wings would turn into a massive ball of fluffy feathers before the end of the day – they always did that when he let them dry off naturally, something that pleased Alec to no end. They were even softer than usual when it happened, and the huge feathery mass was always a warm blanket to sleep under – although it had been a long time since they had last shared a bed. Nevertheless, he didn’t say a word as they prepared themselves to leave the baths room, carefully putting their dirty clothes away before walking to the office of the Head of the Institute.

There was, after all, a report to be given.

ooOoo

Thankfully, Maryse wasn’t too upset by the outcome of the mission, and send them away to get some rest, more concerned with the state of their wings than with the not having caught sight of Valentine. She shooed them away once they were done, telling them to grab some food and get some rest before going back on the field, obviously intent on sending them back as soon as possible.

Izzy, Clary, and, surprisingly, Lydia, were in the communal kitchens, a huge meal spread between, obviously plunged in a deep, passionate conversation when he and Jace entered the room. Clary was overjoyed at seeing Jace and gave him a long look, taking in the way his wings were already starting to fluff up. Alec felt the sour taste of jealousy in his mouth and bit his tongue to stop himself from saying anything, not appreciating the way she was leering at his parabatai. Jace was _his_ , damnit, and he wasn’t going to let a half-mundane get her hands on him.

Izzy gave him a pointed look as he sat down, obviously having read his expression perfectly well, before pushing a plate of food towards him. Lydia looked at them with a little smile on her lips before turning her attention back onto the conversation. Grumbling his thanks to his sister, Alec sat down with a little wince, muscles still sore after his fall into the Hudson. At his side, Jace was already helping himself with the food, a frown on his face, looking unusually preoccupied. Neither of them contributed much to the conversation, more interested in eating, yet Alec couldn’t help but wonder what was going through his parabatai’s mind.

Even without the nervousness in the bond, it was obvious Jace was tense, bothered by something, and Alec promised himself to find out what it was. He doubted it was only the mission – although it was a possibility, considering how intent on finding Valentine Jace was. But this wasn’t a conversation to be had in the communal kitchen and he waited until they all retreated to their rooms, barely noticing how eager Izzy was to show Lydia her new quarters. Clary seemed to hesitate for a moment, looking at Jace and seemingly waiting for something, before her shoulders slumped down a little and she followed Izzy and Lydia. Alec felt a surge of satisfaction at that but did his best to hide it, focusing instead on the silence coming from Jace. This was unusual – and slightly troubling.

Thankfully, the walk back to his room was a short one and he let himself fall onto his bed with a groan, already feeling more relaxed as he could fully spread his wings out, not caring that the tips were brushing on the ground. The mattress dipped a little when Jace sat down next to him, legs crossed and playing with his fingers. Curious, Alec turned his head to look at him, feeling his heart clench a little at the sad, sorrowful expression on Jace’s face. It was a look he never liked to see, and he quickly moved his hand to reach for Jace’s wrist. The posture was a little awkward but he didn’t mind, too focused on his parabatai.

“What’s wrong?” he asked in a whisper, fingers drifting ghostly over the sensitive skin of the wrist.

Jace moved a little, arm falling down on the mattress, making it easier for Alec to brush his skin, but stayed silent for a long moment before finally answering.

“You’re angry,” he stated in a tired voice, something defeated tainting it.

Alec frowned and stilled his movement for a couple of seconds before resuming.

“I don’t know what I did,” Jace went on, still looking at the patterns on the blanket, “but I obviously messed up with something because all I’ve been feeling, coming from the bond, is anger. And it has been going on for weeks, and you won’t tell me what it is, and Izzy keeps acting like everything is normal, so I don’t know…”

His voice faltered a little and Alec moved to raise on his forearms, feeling panic threatening to overwhelm him.

“I don’t know what I did to make you so angry, but I wish you would tell me, so I can make it better,” Jace went on with a small, unassured voice that was nothing like Alec had ever heard.

He curled on himself, wings drawn high on his back, trying to flatten themselves as much as possible, and Alec felt his heart break at the sight. He had rarely seen his parabatai so upset before – usually, it was reserved to nightmares of Michael Wayland dying – and he quickly rose to his knees before taking Jace into an embrace, his wings covering them in a mass of still half-wet feathers.

“Raziel, Jace, I’m not angry at you,” he said in a firm tone, grabbing Jace by the neck to make sure his parabatai was looking at him.

His eyes were a storm of blue and brown.

“And I don’t know why you’re feeling that coming from the bond, but I’m _not_ ,” he insisted in front of the dismayed look on Jace’s face.

Jace snorted, a bitter noise that resonated loudly in the silence of the room.

“Sure you are,” he mumbled, looking away. “That’s all I’ve been feeling from your end for weeks. You’re angry, and you’re pissed off, and you’re frustrated, and you’re annoyed – I had never been able to make the difference so clearly before, but now I know all the nuances. What is it?”

His burst of anger disappeared and he slumped down, his wings trying to curl around him without dislodging Alec’s wings.

“So, I don’t know what I did, but I just want it to stop, okay? I’m sorry I hurt you, I’m sorry I’ve done something to make you so angry, but… forgive me, please? I really can’t stand it anymore.”

He sounded ready to cry, hunched on himself as he was, and Alec bit his tongue hard enough to draw blood before holding him tighter, panicking a little. He didn’t understand what was going on, and if these feelings were all Jace could feel through the bond, an intervention was obviously needed. And if it required him to be more honest than he had ever wanted to be, well… all to make disappear the desperate cloud looming over his parabatai, who was clutching on him like he was a lifeline.

“I hadn’t realized you could sense my annoyance at Clary,” he started hesitantly, playing with Jace’s hair in an attempt to calm him down, wings spread protectively over Jace.

Jace shifted against him, his breath ghosting against Alec’s neck, making him shiver a little.

“It started before Clary arrived,” Jace said in a low tone, his hesitancy at holding Alec still obvious in his gesture. “I didn’t miss that you don’t like her – I mean, I don’t understand _why_ you dislike her that much – but it doesn’t have anything to do with her.”

He shifted again, moving to face Alec, a frown etched on his face – and Alec wanted nothing more than to kiss it away and make it disappear, but he had to focus on the matter at hand. Knowing that his parabatai was upset at what he could feel through the bond took precedence, and he wanted to get to the bottom of the matter.

“It started before Clary arrived,” Alec repeated, perplexed.

Okay, _that_ , he hadn’t expected. That his jealousy had finally pierced through the bond, he could understand – apparently, it tended to happen when feelings were strong and the bond as open as it should be – but that Jace had started feeling anger and annoyance, and only that, before her arrival?

“That’s weird,” he finally said, frowning.

Jace looked at him for a long moment before turning his eyes away and gazing at the spot where their feathers were mingling together, dark brown and white making each hue stand out sharply. He stayed silent for a moment, his fingers brushing through his feathers in an attempt to stop them for thickening too much while drying up, but they both knew it was to no avail. One of his wings shifted a little and Alec felt the tips ghosting over the small of his back, the ticklish sensation making him shiver a little.

“I hadn’t realized you were so interested in Clary,” Jace finally said in a flat voice, resolutely not looking at him.

Alec bit back a groan.

“I’m not,” he mumbled in annoyance, his hold tightening a little over Jace’s waist.

He had half a mind to kiss his hair but stopped himself at the last moment, instead brushing his fingers over Jace’s parabatai rune, the layer of clothe over it all but forgotten. He didn’t need to see the rune to know where it was and he could draw the contours in his sleep – something that had almost happened in the weeks leading up to their parabatai ceremony, while he had trained to draw the most perfect rune on Jace’s skin.

Jace hummed and relaxed a little, shifting a little closer to Alec, one wing still covering him while the other was still at Alec’s back, half folded.

“Okay,” he said before moving his head a little, looking at Alec with an expression that was less sorrowful – and perhaps even a little tentative. “If you say so.”

“I don’t care about her,” Alec promised, still playing with Jace’s hair and noting with satisfaction that it was finally starting to have some effects, his parabatai melting a little more against him. “What I care about it is _you_ , and I don’t like knowing that you’ve only felt anger and annoyance coming from me for the past few weeks. Hell, if you say it started _before_ she appeared, it has even been a couple of months, right?”

“A little over two months,” Jace said hesitantly, still playing with the feathers closest to him in a tell-tale sign of nervousness. “That’s all I feel now, still,” he added in a lower voice, eyes fixed on his wing.

Alec frowned, again, before tightening his hold around Jace.

“That’s not all I feel right now,” he said firmly, one hand still on Jace’s hair while the other pushed away his clothes to cover Jace’s parabatai rune. “I’m angry, that’s true, but it’s at the situation, not at you. I am _worried_ about you,” he added, before steeling himself for what he was going to say next. “And I love you, you know that, right? Nothing could ever change that.”

There, the words were out, but he was certain Jace was going to understand in the way he meant it. Hell, if he hadn’t noticed before, he certainly wasn’t going to notice it now, not when he was so full of doubts and misery…

Jace looked up to him, hesitancy clear on his face, before nodding tentatively, biting his lip in an unconscious move.

“I know,” he finally said, searching for something on Alec’s face and apparently finding it after a few seconds. “We’re parabatai. Our souls are bound together and our hearts beat as one.”

It almost sounded like he was reciting a lesson and Alec finally gave in to his urge and bent down to kiss his hair, bringing Jace closer to him – as if he was trying to melt their bodies together – while his wings tightened around them. Jace all but yelped at the sudden move, instinctively holding tighter onto Alec as their faces came really close to each other, noses almost bumping in the process. Alec could see the myriad of shades in Jace’s eyes and lost himself in his eyes a little, not realizing he had fallen silent until Jace shifted away from a few inches, a faint blush on his cheeks.

Alec felt blood surging through his body and he hoped he wasn’t blushing too hard either. Although he and Jace had a tendency to share their beds, their showers, their baths on rare occasions, and to train in very close quarters, it was rare for them to end up in such close proximity in another context – something he wished would happen more often.

“Parabatai,” Alec said once he regained control of himself, brushing away an errand strand of hair, not minding in the slightest the fact that Jace was still sitting on his lap, their wings mingled together.

He brought their foreheads together, one hand cupping the back of Jace’s neck while the other was holding on Jace’s wrist, a faint reminiscence of the beginning of their conversation.

“You are the most important person in my life,” he said, the assurance of his voice, getting a sharp intake of breath out of Jace. “And I wouldn’t exchange what we have for anything else in the world.”

Jace’s breathing was getting a little erratic and Alec moved a little, kissing his temple softly, barely a brush of the lips, before facing him once again, taking in the amazed look on Jace’s face.

“Can you feel it?”

Jace hesitated before shaking his head a little, wings twitched behind him before stilling as Alec’s wings went to cover them.

“Then we’re going to find out what happened to the bond and fix it,” Alec promised, a dark look in his eyes. “Because it isn’t normal you can’t feel it. Something happened, and we’re going to find out what it was – and who is responsible for it.”

Despite knowing there was a problem with the bond, he felt a lot better knowing that he now had a mission – and what mission it was! Helping Jace with his self-esteem issues had always been a mission of his, but it hadn’t noticed how bad it had gotten, something that made him feel a little ashamed. Nevertheless, their conversation had obviously done them some good, as Jace had taken to curling against him once again, body a lot more relaxed – and Alec couldn’t quite believe he hadn’t realized how upset his parabatai had been recently. Taking care of Jace was _his_ mission, and an extremely cocky attitude doubled with showing off was always a sign something was wrong. He couldn’t quite believe he had confused it with Jace wanting to impress a girl – after all, he had never put that much efforts into _that_ before, his jealousy had gotten the best of him.

No, with an armful of parabatai on his lap, he now knew what he had to do.

And a good night of sleep in the same bed would be the first step.


	3. Chapter 3

Waking up the day after with one of the fluffiest mass of feathers he had ever seen over his torso assured him they were back on the right track. Jace was still asleep against him, one hand holding onto hos pajamas, a slight frown on his forehead, wings fully spread out. Alec knew his own wings were in the same state, brushing against the softness of the carpets on each side of his bed, but nothing could quite compare to the sight – and feeling – of Jace’s white and gold feathers spread out over him, thicker and fluffier than he had expected. His room must have been moister than he had thought when they had gotten ready to sleep, and he quickly looked away to check on his own wings. The feathers were also fluffier than usual and Alec rolled his eyes a little, realizing something had to be done for the ventilation of his room _again_. It was probably one of the only downsides of the Institute – the way rooms would get moist as autumn came, to turn cold and humid by winter if nothing had been done to prevent it.

Nevertheless, although it was slightly annoying, Alec wasn’t going to complain about it this time – especially not when he started carefully brushing the feathers that were closest to him, marveling at their softness under his fingers. He could never get tired of touching Jace’s feathers, and helping his parabatai groom his wings had always been one of his favorite activities. Of course, it was an extremely intimate act, but it always got him in a peaceful and relaxed state – hell, even thinking about it made him feel better, something he hadn’t expected to happen.

Jace stirred a little against him, wing twitching a little, before waking up with a yawn, looking at Alec with eyes that were still full of sleep. His face suddenly lit up when he seemed to realize that he was indeed in Alec’s bed, getting his feathers played with by his parabatai, and he curled up even closer, a bright smile on his face.

“Best kind of morning ever,” he said with another yawn, delight clear in his eyes.

Alec felt himself melt in front of Jace’s happiness, before his thoughts traveled to the dream he had had the day before – and he felt himself blush a little at the memory, shifting ever so slightly to make sure there would be no unwanted contact. He hadn’t even realized his state when he had woken up, too focused on the warmth of Jace’s body against him and on the softness of the feathers brushing against his skin, but now that he was fully awake, well… there were some reactions he preferred not to talk about.

Not so early in the morning at least.

“Breakfast?” he suggested instead, still brushing his fingers through Jace’s feathers.

Jace nodded enthusiastically before rising up, his arm and wing drifting over Alec’s body before he left the bed, his step much happier than it had been the weeks before. Alec was impressed at the difference and watched as the bathroom closed behind Jace with a thoughtful expression on his face.

Now that he thought about it, it was true something had been different in the bond since a couple of weeks. He had always been able to feel a mix of love and hesitancy – self-doubt, even – coming from Jace’s end, but the feeling had been heightened, and he hadn’t even realized it. He felt bad about it, but knowing that his parabatai had only been able to feel his anger and annoyance… well, it wasn’t good.

And they needed to find out what had happened, and then set up a plan to fix it.

But before that, breakfast.

ooOoo

The communal kitchen was filled to the brim when they entered it, but Jace quickly noticed Izzy, accompanied by Lydia and Clary, and they both made their way towards them, not even bothering to apologize as their bigger-than-usual wings bumped into a few people. Everyone knew that kind of thing tended to happen after a bath, and if it lasted longer for some people than for other, well… they were used to it.

Clary smiled brightly at Jace when he sat down next to her but her smile abated slightly as Jace curled against Alec, one fluffy wing coming to cover his parabatai’s back while the other was carefully folded behind his back – as much as it was possible anyway. Alec bit back a satisfied smile at the look on her face before brushing his fingers against Jace’s and turning his attention to the food in front of him. He missed Izzy rolling her eyes while Lydia was looking at them with a slight expression of surprise on her face that soon disappeared as she resumed to her usual cold façade.

“Do you have any plans for the day?” she inquired, looking at the table with attention.

Alec and Jace exchanged a look before Jace nodded a little and turned his attention to his plate of food, obviously leaving Alec to handle the Clave’s envoy.

“Jace and I have a little matter to look into,” Alec said simply while helping himself with the bacon in front of him. “We might need to look into the archives of our past missions,” he added for Izzy’s benefit, who looked at them with curiosity.

“Really? How come?” she inquired, a little surprised.

“There is something we need to check,” Jace said before helping himself with the coffee, eyes darting between Alec and Clary.

Lydia shrugged a little.

“If you want, and as long as it doesn’t interfere with the missions on the field,” she said before finished her cup of coffee. “I’ll take a look at the training room today, if you need me,” she went on, raising from her seat. “Clary, come with me, I want to evaluate you.”

Clary opened her mouth to protest before wisely closing it in front of the looks the rest of the table gave her. She looked a little miffed by the decision but didn’t protest it outwardly, instead following Izzy and Lydia as they walked away, just looking back once to send an undecipherable look at Jace – who was too focused on his food to notice.

Alec, on the other hand, wasn’t so hungry, and waited patiently until Jace was done and they left the kitchen, both focused on their thoughts. He kept playing with the feathers next to him until they were done, barely noticing the effect it had on Jace until his parabatai almost tripped on him, a blush covering his cheeks again. Only then did Alec realize his fingers were still mingled in Jace’s wings and he let go, struggling to keep his calm in front of the situation. He couldn’t quite believe he had almost slipped – that kind of contact, although not unheard of between parabatai, was usually reserved for couples. He was lucky no one had been around to witness that – or that Jace didn’t seem to be inclined to ask questions, instead tentatively brushing their wings together as they walk to the Ops room.

It was rather empty at the time of the day and they settled in a corner before starting to dig in the archives, pulling up all the missions they had executed during the last three months. Alec was rather grateful they kept everything in order, but it didn’t mean they didn’t have to dig into the various reports to find a clue or two. It was a long, tedious process – they were on the field almost every day, and sometimes on multiple missions at the same time, especially when it required an investigation on their part.

But despite these drawbacks, it only took them an hour before Jace suddenly straightened on his seat and caught Alec’s attention, pushing a field report his way, a satisfied look on his face.

“I think that’s it,” he said in a low voice, making sure no one around them could listen to their conversation. “The date fits, at least.”

Curious, Alec took a look at the mission report before his eyebrows rose up. He remembered that mission rather well – they had been sent to investigate demon’s attacks with a strange pattern, something that had landed them in deep troubles with a warlock. They had had a hard time taking the warlock in custody and had taken a few hits in the process. Hell, Alec even remembered the two of them having been hit by a blast, the impact so powerful it had knocked the breath out of them. Thankfully, Izzy had been there to watch their back and the three of them had managed to arrest the warlock for having set the demon on mundanes, and he had been sent to Idris waiting for his trial. They hadn’t heard about him ever since, and Alec had even half-forgotten about the mission, until then at least.

“You think he is responsible for… that?” Alec asked in the same tone, noticing the thoughtful expression on Jace’s face.

“Yeah… you know, when we were hit by the blast? The light was weird, and the warlock was talking. I thought he was threatening us, but maybe it was a spell?”

Alec nodded, thoughtful, taking in the dismayed look on Jace’s face before reaching to straighten a few feathers that were out of place. Jace curled a little against Alec’s hand, a pleased expression on his face, before seemingly realizing something, blushing and straightening on his seat. Alec was a little surprised at his reaction – the gesture was, after all, nothing out of the ordinary for them – but didn’t let it go to his head, choosing instead to close the files in front of them and raising to his feet.

“We should go to a warlock then, see if there is indeed a spell on us and if so, what can be done about it. Do you have a preference?”

Jace stayed silent for a moment, frowning a little, before opening the files on the various warlocks that were vaguely approved by the Clave. They both knew it would be best if they ran their visit by the Head of the Institute, but the matter was too personal for them to share it unless it was necessary. The parabatai bond was, after all, a private matter, and the less people involved in it, the better.

“There are a few we could go, but I suppose we should pick someone powerful,” Jace said after a moment of contemplation.

He hesitated for a moment before raising his eyes to Alec.

“Maybe we should go to the High Warlock of Brooklyn? He didn’t seem to mind us too much, at the Pandemonium.”

Alec frowned a little, remembering perfectly well how the warlock indeed hadn’t _minded_ them – hell, Izzy had teased him for days afterwards, also having noticed how intently the warlock had flirted with Alec once they had gotten rid of the Raveners – but he shrugged in the end, pushing the memory away.

“I suppose he could help us,” he said in a slow voice, looking as Jace was also rising up from his seat. “If he doesn’t have anything else to do, that’s it.”

“Well, let’s go then,” Jace said, already walking towards the armory to grab a Seraph blade.

Alec watched him walk away with a fond look in his eyes. Oh, he appreciated the view for sure, but what he liked best was Jace’s desire at fixing whatever had happened to their bond – even if it meant dealing with the flirtiest warlock they had come across.

ooOoo

Magnus Bane, indeed, didn’t mind taking a look at them once they came knocking to his door, a hesitant expression on their faces. The warlock was even more flamboyant than Alec remembered him be, wearing colorful layers of silk, extravagant makeup and with a haircut that was more sophisticated than it seemed at first sight, and it was almost disorienting, between the speed of his speech and his flirty behavior.

Besides, who the hell drank cocktails in the middle of the morning?

“It’s always happy hour somewhere on Earth,” Magnus said with a careless shrug, a cat meowing loudly as they stood awkwardly in the middle of the leaving room. “But do sit down, and tell me exactly what you think happened to your parabatai bond.”

Alec and Jace exchanged a look before picking the only couch that wasn’t covered either in books or in cats – and how many of them were in that flat anyway? – and sitting down, thighs touching and their wings mingled together behind their backs. Alec didn’t miss the interested look in Bane’s eyes as he took in the way their feathers were intertwined, walking behind them under the pretext of grabbing _something_. People usually liked to stare at the way their feathers looked together, and Bane had a reputation for appreciating all kinds of beauty – wings included.

“Ah, troublesome matter indeed,” Bane mumbled once Jace was done explaining what they thought had happened to them.

The thoughtful expression on his face made it clear he took the matter seriously, and Alec was grateful for that – he didn’t know what he would have done if they had been sent away or derided for their worries.

“I might need to make some examination, if you agree to it,” he went on, prompting Alec and Jace to look at each other before shrugging. “It won’t hurt and shouldn’t take long, but please be still while I do it…”

His voice trailed off as he focused and Alec watched with fascination as magic started glowing from his fingers and surrounding them. Jace didn’t seem particularly reassured – or perhaps was worried about what could come out of it – and Alec reached for his hand, squeezing it gently. Jace stilled a little at the gesture before returning it and relaxing a little, tension disappearing slightly from his shoulders.

It indeed didn’t last long and the tickling sensation from the magic cursing over them soon disappeared, leaving Magnus Bane to stand in front of them, a few strands of hair going in all directions. He looked at their entwined hands, a dramatic sigh escaping him before clasping his hands together, voice cheerful again.

“As I always say, it’s better to have Shadowhunters with half a brain than mindlessly following the Clave’s orders,” he started saying, walking towards his bookshelves, a couple of cats following him. “I said so to Jocelyn Fairchild when she came to me, you know. Always best to think for yourself and look further than what you’ve been taught.”

Particularly dazzled, Alec looked at him with puzzlement, while Jace was nodding slowly, a thoughtful expression on his face. Alec knew he had talked a little with Jocelyn Fairchild in the short time she had spent at the Institute before being sent to Idris, and that he had appreciated their discussion, but he didn’t see what it had to do with their current predicament.

“It’s important to be able to think for yourself,” Jace pointed out, shifting a little so that his shoulder was now touching Alec’s, eyes still fixed on the warlock.

Who took out a few books and perused through them before a sound of satisfaction escaped him and he walked back to them.

“A lot of Shadowhunters would have preferred to go the Silent Brothers first,” Bane said, with what was a spell book – as far as Alec could tell – in his hand. “Of course, they couldn’t have helped and would have sent you to me, so you gained some time in coming directly.”

“We are aware you aren’t opposed to helping Shadowhunters,” Jace said in a careful tone, tensing a little. “Especially Shadowhunters who pay for your services.”

“Yes, yes,” Bane said rather impatiently, waving his words away with a flick of the wrist, eyes darting to their still linked hands. “I had plenty of ideas for payment, but most of them will have to be scrapped, unfortunately. But… ah, well, we will talk about it once I’m done with you.”

“So, we’ve really been hit by a spell?” Alec asked a little hesitantly, a bit unsure in front of the assurance of the warlock.

Magnus Bane’s personality was nothing like he was used to and he felt strangely unsettled by it. Jace, on the other hand, seemed to be perfectly unbothered by his manners, obviously more preoccupied by what had happened to the bond than anything else.

“That you have,” Bane said as he plopped down on his armchair, one fluffy grey cat immediately jumping on his lap and settling down for a nap. “I’m surprised you haven’t come earlier actually, but… well, that’s none of my business.”

He frowned a little, one hand already starting to pet the cat.

“Of course, if you noticed it at first but waiting for it to falter and disappear, that’s one thing, but that spell is still as strong as the day it was created.”

He tilted his head, looking at them with intensity, before blinking.

“In any case, the good news is, I can destroy it and it will stop blocking your bond.”

“And the bad news?” Alec and Jace asked at the same time, prompting the warlock to snort.

“It will be a long, exhausting process. For you, I mean. I hope you didn’t have anything planned for the day?”

They both shook their heads and Magnus rose up from his chair, a cat in one hand and the spell book in another.

“Very well, then. The two of you stay here while I prepare a little potion, and then I’ll get rid of that nasty thing. We cannot have Shadowhunters who aren’t at their top potential to protect us from demons and get rid of Valentine Morgenstern, can we?”

ooOoo

The potion smelled foul and tasted even worst, but Alec drank it without complaining, watching Jace’s face scrunching up when it was time to deal with the drink. Magnus Bane seemed satisfied with their reaction and ushered the into a pentagram in another room, telling them to sit down and make themselves comfortable before getting to work.

It was quite a sight, watching the magic pouring from him, and Alec understood why it might scare some people. It was obvious Magnus Bane was a powerful warlock, chanting ancient words while the pentagram was slowly lightening up, and he drew a little closer to Jace, their wings mingling together once again. It was only when bright bands started surrounding them, most of them tainted by black veins, that they realized it was the parabatai bond they could see – and the impact the spell had had on it. From that point, they looked with fascination as the High Warlock of Brooklyn got to work, glowing sparks attacking the old spell and corroding it away.

It tugged at their bond, making them flinch and curl closer together, painful impacts reverberating in the bond and into their bodies. Bruises started appeared while pain started to grow, as the dark veins were slowly disappeared. It was a precise, meticulous affair that seemed to last forever to Alec, bruises appearing with the regularity of a metronome, blood pounding behind his eyes, until at least the last black mark disappeared, leaving only the bright bands shining brightly in the darkness of the room.

He turned to look at Jace, noticing with a pang of worry the blood that was drying under his nose, before being overwhelmed by an outpour of love drowning everything else through the bond. Jace was quite shocked by what he could feel too, amazement and puzzlement fighting on his face as he looked at the bands surrounding them, before turning his attention into Alec. Magnus Bane was talking to them but neither of them could comprehend was he was saying, and they fell into each other’s arms as the bands disappeared, wings spreading out and covering them in a protective manner.

Alec couldn’t have said where he was anymore, too lost in the feeling of Jace against him, of the love he could feel from the bond – had it always been so intense and passionate? burning bright and warming him from the inside, assuring him he would never be alone? – and he felt a little gasp escape him, overwhelmed by everything he could feel.

Jace didn’t seem to be more aware of his surroundings, looking at him like he was the seventh wonder of the world, before slowly raising a tentative hand to his face, brushing away a few strands of hair. There was nothing but love and amazement in his eyes, and Alec felt himself into a storm of blue and brown, fascinated by the changes in shades as a dim light was slowly appearing in the room.

Nothing could have surprised him more than Jace moving closer and kissing him, a chaste, tender press against his lips, gently stroking his cheek before moving away.

“You love me,” Jace said, wonder clear in his voice. “I had never felt it like that before, but you love me.”

“I’m _in love with you_ ,” Alec corrected him gently, moving to kiss him as if it was the most perfectly natural thing in the world – and it was, wasn’t it?

Two souls bound together couldn’t create anything purer after all.

Jace smiled against his lips before deepening the kiss, one hand moving to hold onto Alec’s hair while the other was still cupping his cheek. Alec hold him by the hips and brought him closer, moving him onto his lap as they were slowly kissing, uncaring about the cold ground under them or the pentagram that was still drawn on it. It was only when Magnus Bane came back that they came to their senses and remembered where they were, separating with a blush on their faces.

“Ah, parabatai,” Bane said with a little sigh, rolling his eyes slightly before shaking his head. “It always ends up the same with the good pairs.”

Alec’s blushed deepened and he grabbed Jace’s hand with gratitude as his parabatai had already jumped on his feet and now wanted him to do the same.

“How can we pay you for what you’ve done for us?” Jace asked seriously, his tone enough to clue the warlock on what had happened.

“Well… there is this necklace the Lightwoods have in their possession, that belongs to me and I would like to see returned to my belongings,” Magnus Bane said slowly after a moment of silence, looking at them with a thoughtful expression on his face. “Bring it to me and consider my services to be paid.”

“Of course,” Alec immediately said, one hand already reaching for Jace’s. “And thank you again for your help.”

“Keep your thanks for once I’m paid,” the High Warlock of Brooklyn said with a smile that wasn’t unkind. “Now off you go, you have what you came here for.”

“Even more,” Alec whispered in Jace’s hair as they left the warlock’s flat, a feeling of exhilaration running through his veins at the love that was still pouring in the parabatai bond.

Jace barely waited for the elevator’s doors to close before kissing him again, eyes shining brighter than they had had for the past two months.

“I love you,” he whispered between two kisses, adoration visible in his eyes. “Parabatai.”

“Love you too,” Alec whispered back, cupping his cheeks between his hands before kissing him again.

The bond was thrumming triumphantly between them, more settled than it had ever been before.

ooOoo

Alec yawned a little and opened an eye when he heard the door opening with a creak, before a smile appeared on his face. A mass of fluffy white feathers was moving in front of him, half-hiding his view from everything else that was happening in the room as Jace was getting ready to join him on the bed, kicking his shoes away and throwing his clothes on a chair until he was done to his underwear. His shifted on the bed and rolled over as Jace made his way to the bathroom, before spreading himself on the bed – their bed, and wasn’t it something wonderful to say? – as he listened to the water falling down. If he strained a little, he could even hear Jace singing under the shower, a mundane tune that wasn’t half-bad – or maybe he was biased because _Jace_ was singing.

He dozed off a little while waiting for his parabatai to come back, and stirred in surprise when he felt the mattress dip next to him. He hadn’t realized he had fallen back to sleep, but his tiredness was quick to disappear as Jace was settling down over him, knees on each side of his backside and hands on his shoulders.

“Are you really in the mood for a massage?” Alec asked in a voice that was still sleepy, feeling himself smile as Jace laughed and bent down to kiss his temple, nudging him a little to move so that they could kiss properly.

“You’re tense like a bow,” Jace said as he settled down back in position, towel shifting to reveal more skin. “Just try to relax a little, okay? I’m going to make this good for you.”

“You _always_ make it good for me,” Alec mumbled, feeling himself melt under Jace’s firm touch, massaging away the knots in his shoulders.

It was true he was tense – the pressure of being groomed to become the new Head of the Institute, with the search for Valentine to partake in, as well as their missions hunting for demons – but everything was easier to bear now that he had Jace at his side in every sense of the world. Them becoming a couple had done them both a lot of good – something _everyone_ had the Institute had noticed – and the pressure of their lives was easier to handle now that there weren’t any secrets left between them.

He was quick to turn into a puddle under Jace’s talented hands, feeling his wings twitch every now and then until they were as relaxed at the rest of his body, moving only when Jace grazed them. There was something particularly satisfying at being manhandled by his parabatai like that, and he didn’t even complain when Jace stopped, squeezing his shoulders one last time.

“Roll over now,” Jace whispered in his ear before moving away, helping him with his wings before Alec settled comfortably on the bed, opening an eye to look at this parabatai.

Jace’s wings were relaxed in his back, the dim light of the lamp on the nightstand making the golden lines on his feathers glow faintly. Alec smiled as Jace settled down on his lap again, the position suddenly a lot less chaste than it had been a few minutes ago. He moved slightly to put his hands on Jace’s thighs, squeezing them a little and enjoying the firmness of his parabatai’s body.

Jace was content to let him touch, his own hands on Alec’s stomach, thumbs drawing circles over the runes on his skin. The parabatai bond was thrumming quietly between them, sated. They stayed silent for a moment, content to just look and touch, before Jace grew impatient and bent down to kiss him, one hand losing itself into Alec’s while the other was cupping his cheek. Alec moaned loudly into the kiss before moving his hands, letting go of Jace’s thighs to hold onto his butt, squeezing it playfully.

Jace let out an indignant sound, breaking up the kiss and straddling Alec’s lap in the same move, getting him to moan loudly at the contact.

“Oh, you want to play this game now, do you?” he asked with an eyebrow raised, shifting on Alec’s lap in a way that proved he wasn’t above playing dirty.

“Damn right I do,” Alec answered in a breathless voice before rolling them, swallowing Jace’s yelp with a kiss. “I have plans for you, parabatai,” he added when they stopped to catch their breath, one hand on Jace’s hair while the other went to get rid of his towel and take him in hand, getting him to gasp and bit his lip, eyes closing for a brief moment.

It was easy to take Jace apart, and immensely rewarding – especially when his parabatai was writhing underneath him, wings flapping away while he was holding onto Alec’s hair, trying to restrain himself for as long as possible. But there wasn’t much he could do in front of Alec’s talented fingers and he soon spent himself with a loud moan, prompting Alec to laugh a little before kissing passionately.

“I hope you’re not done for the evening,” Alec whispered in a playful tone before starting to kiss the line of his jawline, yelping a little when Jace slapped his butt with his towel.

“I’ll show you how done I am,” Jace grumbled before pushing him on his back, feathers flying around, and slowly making his way down Alec’s body.

He gave him a long, pointed look before lowering his head and Alec moaned loudly, one hand reaching for the headboard while the other lost itself into Jace’s soft hair. Clearly, neither one of them was done for the night – and they probably wouldn’t be before a long time.

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is always welcome.


End file.
